The FMI receives another generous grant from the EU

The FMI receives another generous grant from the EU

Marc Bühler, Group Leader at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), has received one of the highly sought-after ERC Starting Grants from the European Research Council (ERC). The generous ERC research grants are awarded to talented young scientists setting up their own research group. This is the seventh ERC grant that FMI researchers have received in just 3 years. It illustrates how competitive research at the FMI is on a European scale.

Today, the European Research Council (ERC) announced the winners of the fourth tender for ERC Starting Grants. They include Marc Bühler, Group Leader at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, which is part of the Novartis Research Foundation. He will receive around €1.6 million for his research over the next 5 years.

Marc Bühler is researching epigenetic processes in fission yeast and human cells. He is particularly interested in how RNA and chromatin interact and influence the fate of cells. His work brings together two of the most modern branches of research ever. It was recently found that small pieces of RNA can have a considerable influence on the stability and regulation of genetic material.

Over the course of his scientific career, the 36-year old has already enjoyed a number of achievements. Born in Wolhusen (Lucerne), he studied for undergraduate and doctorate degrees at the University of Bern. He then expanded his knowledge of RNA biology and epigenetics at the renowned Harvard Medical School in Boston and was one of the first individuals to describe the interaction of RNA and chromatin in fission yeast. In 2008, he returned to Switzerland to set up his own research group at the FMI. At the same time, he became a professor at the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Bühler is also this year’s recipient of the Friedrich Miescher Prize and has been accepted into the EMBO Young Investigator Program

In Marc Bühler, the FMI is building on its successful ERC statistics. FMI researchers have already received 6 ERC Starting Grants since the program started in 2007. In addition to Marc Bühler, these researchers are Dirk Schübeler, Mohamed Bentires-Alj, Helge Grosshans, Botond Roska and Nico Thomä. What’s more, Silvia Arber received an ERC Advanced Grant in 2010. For an institute of the size of the FMI, this is exceptional and underlines the high quality of research undertaken.

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